Signaling device



March 18, 1941. H. N. CARVER SIGNALING DEVICE Filed April 21, 1958 hazard on the road, not; only to approaching-mon torists.. but also tothe truck operators. andthe" "The ing element o! the signal'whichalsdacts as a supporting standardl therefor; Vto provide la. coin--VVYV atented Mar0 18, 194i l j (eras-vai This invention relates to signaling. devices and more particularly to a portable signal adapted to.

- be conveniently placed on highways-and .similar and the like thoroughiares .for warning .motorists of obstructions on ahighway.

It is ordinarily diilicult for operators cles such asloadedtrucks Ato pull voif the vroad when it becomes necessary to makerepairs onthe vehicles undertheir control. Should the motor of a truck tailor -thertires-y need,` changing, the *l stalled :irV otherwiseV stationary`v vehicle creates a property under theircontrol. ,Y

It is theprinipaloblect oithepresent tion toY provide a signal of the character commonly knownias a "roadilare" whichiscapable offres f f fleeting and/or refracting -lightrays generated by?v thelights of approaching-vehicles, back approx-f. imate their source of incidence to .warnthe occue pants of .those .vvehicles o f. the.VA presence.. of ob-f:

strgptionsioniioadsnngl other; important obieotsof .the

tion areto .provide a collapsible light reflecting j 25 and/or reiracting signal p `of;`l sturdyVV andfdnrable i constructioncapableof. withstanding shocks and Jars without damage Vto the .signal; .to design the signal 'that it is diiilcultV to tip lovenaccidently;

to provide a housing for'. the reflector or refractcpact and easily operablesignal having ahigh 'de--v gree oi.' emciency; to provide'a protective mountlng for the reector or light refracting element of. 35 the signal; to provide a cover for' the signaling' a element adapted to maintain vthe signaling ele-- y nient in erected condition when in open'positiom' Yto provide for locking the coverrand signaling element in erected condition; to provide forradiusting the signaling element atvarious angles relative to the base; and to'provide improvedparts and arrangements of parts' making up a' signaling device according to the present inverttion.

In accomplishing-these and other objectsof the present invention, I haveprovided-improved`5 details of structure, thepreferred form of vvhi'c'zh.l in:- the accompanying'drawing,

is illustrated wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of vention and tion.\ .y

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section through the base and cover elements, part of the-signalingel-f* sion thereini i lthe signaling device on the line Fig. 34V

a signaling de#v vice embodying the featuresV of the present lin-i.-V

showing the device in erected condifv ement framebeing brokenY away to betterlillus-f trate its construction." f 1' 'l e e Fig.' 3 is Ya fragmentary vdetail vertical' cross-Y ment. V Fig. 4. is a vice showing the samev in collapsed condition' `tol Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail horizontal crosssection through the tree end ofthe-cover partici'i-` larly illustratingl the arrangementpf Vthe exten? Fig. ifs; is itiomtitudinai cron-section tiirfoj ugii- -Referenznr@modena"withdrawing:

'I 'he -invention 'generally cliidesl' a i.; signalmsielementzrivatlly mtedpnilebae' .element ifor:enclosingfj'the signaling element', an

s oase. i'jinoiuds spiate which maybe cast orfotherwise formed preferably `section. through a 'portionpf the. Signnngselnef perspective view of the signaling' de;

facilitate' storage and transilortatiorithereof. A

arid adapted ot'ojseatgtnereinjwnenfinioiosetifposn g tion, anda cover member) adapted tomate with th' basein overlapping relation tothe signaling' e of substantially circular shape and having ,a sub- 'stantially cntinuousperipheralupwardly turned flange '6 having Voppositely ydisposedY recesses 1 therein. Oppositely disposed pairs of spaced ears- 8-9 and iiii I bound the recesses arid extend laterally Vand'upwardly fromthe periphery .ofv 'the base, the ears having aligned openings, Vtherein for passing pivot'pins i2 and 13.*'

fThe signaling'element 2, Figlia. preferablycoxn-4 I prises a plate i4 formedV of' colored rrolledglassY or similar substantially transparent material havingl a suitable outer `facer I5 and preferably a prismatsignaling element backl approximate their sourcesI ofjincidene. 'Is'heedges of the signalingl element plate i4 'are' ririorited withinkrnating frame mein- `ic inner face I6 for rerlectingand/or refracting Y light rays in'ipinging` against the outer 'face ofthe bers IT and I8,"Fig, l3, which'are preierablyof adapting them: for ittingv withinthe` harige 16 oilA substantially' circularorringshape 'andofaQsize .50 the base plate.;` The frames each preferably have .i concave innersurfaces I9 and v2li provided-.with V I A spaced alignable bcssesV 2i and 22 which, in practice, initiate substantially at` the edges 2.3, Fig. 3,

- of the frame concavities in such a manner that c5 they are adapted for engagement by a corresponding boss on the other frame.

The bosses 2| andk 22 terminate short of the edges 23 of the frame concavltles to form a seat for the peripheral edge of the signal plate I4. The outer side edges of the plate are arranged for engagement by the edges 2 4 and 25 of the frames to secure the plate in operative condition within the frame. The signal plate frames may be secured together in a suitable manner as by the extension of fastening devices 26 through aligned apertures Vin the frame, as illustrated in Fig. 3.

As a matter of practice, it is also desirable to provide a gasket 21 in interposed relation between the peripheral edge of the signaling plate I4 and the inside edges of the signaling plate frame for cushioning the signal plate relativeto its support and thereby permit relatively rough treatment of the assembled device without danger of breaking the plate.

A boss28 is provided Von the frame which extends outwardly from the periphery thereof and A which is of suillcient thickness to snugly seat in the recess between the base ears B and 9. The boss 28 is also provided with an opening alignable with the openingsin the ears Illv and l! in such a manner that the pivotl pin may be passed therethrough for pivoting the signaling element on the base.

ears 8 .to ||l be flush with the lower face of the base to increase the bearing surface of the signaling device on" a support when being used for its intended purpose. l l p j The cover plat'e3'preferably is formed asa substantial duplicate to thebaseplate' 6, av peripheral iiange29 being provided on the cover which extends downwardly therefrom and is adapted to rest uponthe upper, peripheral edgefof the flange 6 of the base platei to 'completely enclose-.the signaling element 2 whenV the device is collapsedy or in closed condition. 'Ihe cover Sis. however, preferably provided with a boss 30 at one end thereof of a size adapting it for snug fit within Y the space 1 between the ears l0 and of the base plate, an opening being provided therethrough alignable with the openings of the ears 8 and 3 for the passage of the pivot pin |3 to pivot or mount the cover on the base. The opposite end of the cover is provided with a laterally extending iiange 3| terminating short of ange extensions 32 and 33 of the ilange 29 on the cover to provide a seat for a lug 34 of a size and shape adapting it tc seat between the flange extensions 32 and 33. The lug 34 is mounted at the outer end of the extension 4, which extension preferably consists oI a plate slidably -mounted on the underface 35 of the cover and retained in such sliding relation by a plate 36 fixed as by fastening devices 31, Fig. -l, to the underface of the cover to provide a channel 33 in which the extension 4 is slidably mounted.

In order to retain the extension 4 in desired extended position, the upper face thereof is provided with a series of depressions 39. The cover Y, is provided preferably on the flange 3| thereof with a boss 40 which is bored to receive the locking device 5,' the lockingdevice preferably'consisting of a ball 4| adapted to seat in any of the depressions 38 and having' seating engagement'in a bore 4|V in theboss 40. A spring 43 is also mounted in the boss and engaged with the ball to normally urge the ball into positive engagement with any of the recesses. A lug 44 retains the It is also*preferable that the lower faces of the spring and ball in the bore of the boss 40 in cooperation with the extension 4.

'I'he operation of a signaling device constructed as described is as follows:

Assuming the signaling device to be in the condition illustrated in Fig. 4, the cover member 3 Vright angles to the base. In such a condition the cover is normally of insufdcient length to adequately engage the signaling element and the extension is then withdrawn from the channel 38 in such a manner as to adapt the lug 34 for engagement over the periphery of the signaling element frame. The extension is automatically locked in such position by engagement of the spring-pressed ball in one of the recesses of the extension 4.

Should it be desirable to position the signaling device on a road, for example, in a valley where traiiic is approaching on a down-grade. the extension 4 is retracted into its channel 38 to a point at .which engagement of the lug 34 with the periphery of the signaling element positions the signaling element at an angle to the perpendicular and whereby the signaling plate may be at substantially right angles to rays of light issuing from the headlights of oncoming vehicles.

If the signaling device is -to be placed at the crest of a hill in such a manner that it faces trame approaching on anun-grade, the extension ismoved out of the channel v3|! a greater distance than shown in Fig. 2 in such a manner that the signaling element is at a greater than angle to the basel. Such a position of the signaling element may be Varied to position the signaling plate at substantially right angles to rays of light emanatingfromevehiclelieadlights -1 Yapproaching o/ the up-grade.

WhenV the signaling device has served its purpose, the cover memberis hinged outwardly relative to the base to permit the signaling element to be hinged inwardly relative to the base and the cover is then hinged toward the base in overlapping relation to the signaling element for completely enclosing the signaling` element and forming a protective housing therefor.

It is believed apparent that the present device may jbe placed either in front of or behind a vehicle on a road and that the signaling plate may be faced toward either direction of approachlng traflic on the highway or the like to warn the occupants of vehicles of the presence of an obstruction on the highway. Y

The principal advantages of a signaling de vice embodying the features of the present invention are that it is strong, rigid, durable, and withstands rough treatment. The device is compact and may be conveniently stored in any type of vehicle. Light rays are reflected or refracted ln intensified form within a wide range of angles of incidence of such light rays. Further, the signaling element is protected from normal deterioration due to its being enclosed when in collapsed condition.

con

l. A road signal comprising a base, a frame adapted to carry a signaling element pivotally mounted on said base on anaxis substantially parallel thereto, a cover pivotally mounted on the base on an axis substantially parallel -thereto in spaced relation to the axis of the frame, an extension slidably mounted on the cover in angular relation to the pivotal axis thereof adapted to hook over edge of the frame when the same is pivoted outwardly relative to the base and retain the same in outwardly pivoted condition, and interengageable means on the cover and extension forming a lock to hold the extension in extended position.

2. A road signal comprising a. base, a frame adapted to carry a signaling element pivotally mounted on`said base on an axis substantially parallel thereto, a 'cover pivotally mounted on the base on an axis substantially parallel thereto in spaced relation to the axis of the frame, and

an extension mounted on the cover member in angular relation to the pivotal axis thereof adaptedto bridge the space between edges of the mating members forming a housing when in closed position, a frame adapted to carry a signaling element arranged between said members when in closed position, means hinging together one of said mating members and said frame in spaced relation to the hinge connection between -from each other when in opened condition, means on said other mating member adapted to be extended to 4bridge said space and hook over the frame to retain the same against hinging movethe other of said bosses, a plate on the cover spaced therefromto provide a channel therebetween, an extension slidably mounted in the channel having a lug engageable over a portion of the free edge of said frame when in opened condition to retain the frame in raised condition relative to the base, the extension having spaced depressionsI and a spring-pressed ball mounted inthe cover engagea'ble with the re.

spective depressions for locking the extension 1n desired angular position relative to the base.

AHORACE N. CARVER. 

